MLB News

Smoke signals

By
Jordan BastianMLB.com

• Cleveland manager Terry Francona said the A's and Indians looked at potential dates later in the season to play a makeup game for Tuesday's rainout, but the teams felt playing a split doubleheader was the best solution. Francona said putting an extra game on the schedule deep in the summer can often become problematic.

"We needed to be careful what we wished for," Francona said. "A long day in April is way better. ... It's really easy to just, at the time, go, 'We'll play it later. We'll deal with it later.' Then, later comes, and it gets difficult."

• Cleveland manager Terry Francona said the A's and Indians looked at potential dates later in the season to play a makeup game for Tuesday's rainout, but the teams felt playing a split doubleheader was the best solution. Francona said putting an extra game on the schedule deep in the summer can often become problematic.

"We needed to be careful what we wished for," Francona said. "A long day in April is way better. ... It's really easy to just, at the time, go, 'We'll play it later. We'll deal with it later.' Then, later comes, and it gets difficult."

• Francona stuck with his plan on Tuesday and kept Asdrubal Cabrera in the leadoff spot for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader. Cabrera was in the lineup Wednesday as the designated hitter and not shortstop, though. The manager said the position change was simply to account for playing two games in one day, and having just three extra position players.

• Indians center fielder Michael Bourn (on the 15-day disabled list due to a left hamstring injury) is scheduled to play for Triple-A Columbus as part of a rehab assignment on Thursday and Friday. Bourn will be eligible to be activated from the DL on Saturday.

• The Indians are more than familiar with inclement weather in Cleveland, but Tuesday's postponement in Oakland was a rarity. It marked the first rainout at the Coliseum since May 5, 1998, and Wednesday's split doubleheader was the first in the history of the stadium.